A series of studies is presented which developes and evaluates an educational program to enhance effective patient behavior in the control of hypertension. The Behavioral Model quiding the construction of the educational material postulates that individuals actively generate models of hypertension. Each facet of screening and treatment behavior is heavily influenced by the patients view or model of the disorder and by the adequacy of his skills in coping with treatment. The view of the disorder is determined to a large extent by the symptom the individual identifies as a bodily sign of high blood pressure. Once a sign is identified, e.g., headache, heartbeat, warmth, etc., it is used as a clue to the cause of high pressure and as a means of evaluating the need for and the success of treatment. Educational programs are devised for screening sites to: 1) discourage persons with high readings from using available body signs as criteria regarding the need for follow-up, 2) to demonstrate to normotensives who are high in concern about heart disease that they may be incorrectly attributing symptoms to heart disease, and 3) to facilitate rational follow-up and risk reduction in patients labelled as borderline hypertensive. An educational program is also developed to increase adherence to treatment regimens through eliciting patients' belief systems, active participation by patients in treatment planning, and rehearsal of plans for blood pressure control. These procedures are designed to allow patients to deal with their symptoms within a framework that validly represents the disease process and risk. Simple two groups designs are proposed which compare these educational programs to standard screening or treatment programs. Finally, a program of shared experimentation is proposed for patients whose blood pressure is poorly controlled. The objective is for provider and patient to jointly test medication effects so as to fully externalize and direct the patient's model formation toward objective cues of pressure and valid techniques for pressure regulation.